Roller bearing



May 25 1926. 1,585,690

H. E. PRATT ROLLER BEARING Filed Oct. 22, 1918 Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED/STATES HERBERT E. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOAKTIEBOLAGET SVEN'SIKA 1,585,690 PATENT OFFICE.

KULLAGERFABRIKEN, OF GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION OF KINGDOM OFSWEDEN.

-ROLLER BEARING.

Application fll'ed October 22, 1918- Serial No. 259,288.

It is the phrpose of my invention to provide a roller bearing for "lineshafting and the like which is self adjusting, capable of taking up endthrust, provides extended bearing surfaces, is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and is durable and efiicient. Referring to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this ap lication, Fig. 1 is an axial sectionof a dou le shaft bearing, the shaft being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 apartial transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a transversesection of a detail on the line 33 of Fig. 1 ;and Fig 4 a single bearingof the same type.

The bearing comprises-aninner member; 5 which is applied to the shaft 6,an outer member 7, and two similar sets of rolls 8 arranged at oppositesides of a. central transverse plane and maintained in proper relationby retainers 9. The inner or bearing surface of the outer member 7 iscircular in axial as well as lon itudinanl section or, in other Words isspherical, and the rolls 8 present the same curve in longitudinalsection sothat each roll has'a line of contact with the outer bearingextending its entire length. The inner bearing member 5 is formed onopposite sides of its longitudinal center with raceways 10 separated bya central ridge 11, the raceways being likewise curved in longitudinalsection, the curve being of the same radius as the internalcurvature-ofthe outer member so that with this inner member also each of the rollshas a line of contact extend,

ing throughout its length. As plainly seen in Fig. 1 the rolls arepreferably larger at their inner or adjacent ends-and the inner bearingmember is of largest diameter at the central ridge 11 and slopes away onoppo;

site 'des thereof. As a result of the described construction the bearingis self adjusting, as obviously the inner, member has a slight universalmotion about the center of the spherical inner surface of the outermember, and end thrust will be transmitted from the inner to the outermember in an obvious manner.

. The roll retainer or separator 9 is preferably cast of some suitablemetal "or material, the body 9 thereof being 'frustro-conical and ofsuch size that when the rolls are assembled therewith in the bearings itoccupies a position somewhat outside of or beyond the conical surface inwhich lietlieaxes of the rolls. The retainer is formed with openings ofa shape and size to fit about the respective rollers but somewhatsmaller than the axial section of the rolls so that the latter cannotdrop therethrough. Wings 15 are cast; on opposite sides ofthe respectiveopenlngs and when cast are parallel permittingthe insert1on of the rollsfrom the in-,

side of the retainer After a roll is in its opening the wings are bentabout the roll as shown 1n Fig. 3 to retain it in place. Preferably theretainer is madeof some anti-friction metal and the roll: 's free toturn easily.

in its opening but is held from falling either inward or outward in themanner described. Each retainer is also formed with inwardly directedflanges 16, 17 of such extent that their edges fit loosely about the inner bearing member so as 'to properly retain the separator in itsconcentric position.

In Fig. 41 .have shown a bearing which is in all respects likethat shownin the other figures except that it is sing e and therefore will take upend thrust in one irection only. Obviously instead of the double bearingof Fig. 1 two bearings of the character shown in Fig. 5 may be employed.

In assemblin the bearing whether of the single or doub e' form, the,sets of rolls are I ing from. my invention. Thusit is not essential thatthe rolls be of larger diameter at their inner ends as they may besymfirst inserted in their respective retainers metrical or even be.larger at their outer ends, the shape of the inner bearin member beingcorrespondingly changed. gain the body of the retainer may be made ofsuch diameter asto lie within the frustro-conical surface which containsthe axes of the rollers and the wings cast to extend outside the body,the rollers in this case being a plied to their respective openings fromt e outside and the wings or hps serving to retain the rolls againstoutward movement. Obviously also the marginal flanges by which theretainer is maintained in concentric relation to the bearing members-mayextend outward to contact with the outer bearing member. Other changeswithin the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in thisart.

I claim:

1. In a bearing of the class described, an outer bearing member having aspherical inner bearing'surface, an inner bearing member having aconcave bearing surface thereon, the curve ofthe surface correspondingin axial section with the surve of the in er surface of the outer bearinmember, t' e bearing surface on one mem er being of larger diameter atone end and the bearing surface on the other member being of larger diam.eter at the other end and a series of rolls of larger diameter at oneend than at the other.

2. In a bearing of the class described an outer bearing member having aspherical inner bearing surface constituting two races, an inner bearingmember having cooperating raceways at its respective opposite ends, saidraceways being concave and curved in axial, section corresponding to theaxial curve of the inner bearing surface of the outer bearing member,and rollers curved in longitudinal section on the same radius naaaeeo ofcurvature of the raceways whereby each roller has a line of contact witheach hearing member throughout its length.

3. In a bearmg of the class described an .outer bearing member having aspherical inner surface, an inner bearing member having an outer bearingsurface which is concave longitudinally and of greater diameter at oneend than the other, rolls between the bearing surfaces of greaterdiameter at one end than at the other and a frustro-conical rollretainer engaging said rolls.

4. In a roller bearing, the combination of an inner race, an outer racehaving a-spherical rolling surface for the rollers, and two rows ofrollers betweensaid races, the axes of the rollers of the respectiverows converging in cones having their axes on the bearing axis atopposite sides of the bearing, each of said rollers having an outwardlycurved rolling surface of such shape that it bears against at least oneof the rolling surfaces of said races along the greater portion of thelength of the roller.

5. A self-adjusting roller bearing comprising inner and-outerrace ringsone of whichjs formed with a spherically curved race and the other witha cooperating race,

' and rollers having axially convexed surfaces and whose greatestdiameter lies nearer to one end of the roller than the other end.

HERBERT E. PRATT.

